Why Is Athens Better Than Sparta

The role of a polis may be compared to a sub-countries or city-state with its own government, military, society, and commerce. Ancient Greece was composed of hundreds of poleis (city-states) across the region. Some of the more known poleis were Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Megara, and Argos. Among the most well known city-states are Athens and Sparta. Although Athens and Sparta are the better known poleis in Greece, these two sovereignties had different philosophies about their military, politics, courts, and commerce. Their differences often resulted in confrontations within the region of Greece. Sparta was known for its military might and social discipline, while Athens was centered around enlightenment and economic prosperity.

These two city-states were in contrast from one another. Politcally, Athens was a democracy while Sparta was a miltary dictatorship. These differences in politics often resulted in military strategies and confrontations similarly observed in modern times. Sparta's army is world renowned for its aspects while Athen's navy was it's

Unlike national laws to over see state legislation, there seems to be little information about Greece as a nation and its govenment. Instead, Greece was set up with poleis acting as tribes of individual governments. Laws among each polis served its citizens differently. "Sparta’s unique dual kingship came from two separate royal tribes who traced their line back to legendary founders" (Brand, n.d.). Sparta's dual kingship or Oligarchy structure means it was ruled by the few. In contrast, "Athens is seen as the birthplace of democracy - where a large number of the population had a say in state affairs and proceedings" (Knights, 2007). The differences among poleis within Greece were probably vast since the region's city-states were in continuous battle over territory, military power, and